I’m a great romantic at heart so deciding to write about love was an easy choice for me. Although I enjoy reading it, I’m not a writer of feel-good romantic fiction. Instead I prefer to incorporate drama into my romance. Yes, my characters have to work hard for their happy ending…but they do get one in the end.

Do you work on more than one manuscript at a time?

I’ve certainly drafted out ideas on a new book while working on another and on one occasion did begin writing when my current manuscript was away for editing. Generally though, I like to finish one project before beginning work on another.

Do you work with a writing/critique group?

I have not done this in the past, although on occasions I have read for other writers. For my latest book, however, I have set up a group for that final read through.

Can you remember your first reading book?

At school my first memory of reading was the Janet and John books, but pre-school it was Noddy and Big Ears!

Do you nibble on snacks while writing? If so, what is your chosen treat?

I’m a terrible nibbler and a closet chocaholic to boot! I have to be really strict, allowing myself a one day chocolate indulgence and eating healthy fruit snacks for the rest.

Tidy desk or a bombsite? Describe your writing area with us.

Definitely tidy. I spent years in office work and came across some really effective people who were able to work with desks which were absolutely heaped with paper. I, however, am an organized individual so have files for everything.

My writing area consists of a desk with a PC, a filing tray and shelves above with files/reference books. I know exactly where everything is. The same goes for my electronic files on the computer, which I back up regularly.

Are you published in the traditional manner or self-published? Share your journey.

I am an independently published author who is currently writing her seventh novel. Of course it would be great to get that elusive publishing deal but there are benefits in going solo. You are in total charge of your own work and with the assistance of a good editor you have the ability to produce a great product. Also you’re not tied to delivering a book to a timescale as you would if you were with a publisher. I think the downside for any indie author is the marketing. If you have a book deal then you have the weight of a publisher behind you. On your own it’s very much a case of getting yourself out there; becoming your own PR machine and making use of all the social networks to get your work out there.

My first published novel In Sunshine and in Shadow – a family saga – began life as a single book and ended up a trilogy. The first book was published in 2009, the second in 2010 and the third in 2011. Two sequels followed in 2012 and 2014 and then I decided to call it a day with my Somerset families. My current novel, Summer Moved On is set in Devon and was published last August. This too began as a single story but now has a sequel Watercolours in the Rain, which I am currently in the process of writing.

Who would you say have been the three most influential authors in your reading/writing life?

Lesley Pearse – I’ve always loved her books and was actually lucky enough to have lunch with her once. Her style of writing was definitely an influence on my own.

Although I don’t think I’d ever have the patience to do the research for historical novels, I love Phillipa Gregory’s novels and the way she blends historical fact with fiction. I particularly liked The Virgin’s Lover which told the story of Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley.

Mary Wesley. Her first adult novel was published when she was 71. I’ve read all of her books and love The Camomile Lawn most of all.

What advice would you like to share with other writers/authors with regard to preparing a manuscript?

I think the writing is the most enjoyable part of the process. However, once you have typed THE END, the hard and very often unappealing work begins: editing. The whole manuscript needs to be gone through with meticulous care. I normally take one thing at a time. First I check for any typos then download the manuscript onto my Kindle. In that way the whole thing reads like a proper book and you can pick up any dialogue you need to tighten up, or prose that might need tweaking. It’s also an opportunity to check the story timeline to make sure all your events are running in the right sequence. Once you have made any amendments it’s back to the beginning to start all over again. There are no rules for how many edits a writer decides on. It’s all about polishing your work until you’re really satisfied it’s as good as it can be. Then it’s time to hand it over to a professional editor and yes, you do need one of these. Believe me they are worth every penny.

If the movie rights to your novels are purchased, who would you like to play your main characters?

As The Other Side of Morning is the featured book on tour this week, my main characters would be: Marco D’Alessandro – Santiago Cabrera, Christian Rosetti – Aidan Turner, Charlotte Kendrick – Jessica Brown Findlay Rossana Caravello – Emma Watson

I was on my way to the supermarket, when … Do you have a tale to tell relating to an everyday, boring event?

I called into a local supermarket very early one morning on my way to work. There was hardly anyone about and there on the floor in front of me was a trail of twenty pound notes – £120 in all. I handed it in and left my number. Later I received a call from an elderly lady who thanked me for picking it up.. She had come in early to shop and always kept the money inside the notebook which she used for her grocery list. She said she must have pulled the book from her wheelie trolley, forgetting the money was inside. She told me it had been a scary moment for her and in future she would keep the money in her bag.

BOOK WEBSITE: www.jolambertbooks.com this gives all information on my books including synopses, links, reviews and WIP.

The Other Side of Morning by Joanna Lambert

Fashion designer Thérèse D’Alesandro has recently moved into Higher Padbury Manor with daughter Felica and stepson Marco. Joining forces with Ella Benedict’s exclusive functions venue Lawns at Little Court, she is about to open a bridal boutique.

Working in London where he manages his father’s European restaurant chain, Marco has both the looks and charm to guarantee him any woman; any woman, that is, except the one he wants: Ella’s niece Charlotte. Marco knows he should walk away as she’s already involved with rock star Christian Rosetti and is the most rude and argumentative female he has ever encountered, but Charlotte has sparked strong feelings within him; feelings which despite her attitude, he senses she is also experiencing.

Recently returned from abroad and now working for her father’s record company, Lucy Benedict has discovered Christian’s guilty secrets – ones he has been keeping safely hidden from her cousin Charlotte. Determined to cause mischief and at the same time settle her own score with the arrogant star, she sets in motion a chain of events which sees Charlotte eventually beginning a relationship with Marco.

Rossana Caravello, the D’Alesandros’s newly-arrived house guest, is due to inherit the one of Italy’s premier vineyards on her eighteenth birthday. Aware they would make an excellent addition to her husband Gianlucca’s international business portfolio and eager to bring them into his possession, Thérèse sets about engineering a match between Rossana and Marco, determined nothing will stand in her way… including Charlotte.

From rural West Somerset to the glorious rolling landscape of Tuscany and the Italian Lakes THE OTHER SIDE OF MORNING is a story of love, betrayal, deception and ultimate sacrifice.

Born and raised in rural Wiltshire, Jo grew up with a love of books and a vivid imagination. As a child she enjoyed creating her own stories and reading them to her friends. College, work and eventually marriage meant writing was kept very much as a hobby. Her career as a board level PA eventually moved into management and it wasn’t until 2009 that she finally realised her long term goal of publishing her first novel – When Tomorrow Comes.

Juggling work and writing, three other connected books – Love Lies and Promises, The Ghost of You and Me and Between Today and Yesterday – followed. They became collectively known as the Little Court Series.

In 2013 she decided to give up full time work to concentrate on her writing. Two books have been written since – The Other Side of Morning, which finally wrapped up the Little Court Series and Summer Moved On, book one of a two-part love story set in South Devon. Although you can find her characters in glamorous locations like Italy, Grand Cayman, Bali and Australia, the core of her writing remains with village life, an environment she knows and loves. When she isn’t writing, she reviews for Hodder and Stoughton, Brook Cottage Books and NetGalley. Jo lives in a village on the eastern edge of Bath with her husband, one small grey feline called Mollie and a green MGB GT. She loves travel, red wine and rock music.

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About Glynis Peters Author

I write Historical saga style novels featuring mystery and romantic twists. HarperCollins/HarperImpulse publishers of my novel, The Secret Orphan. I live in the UK, in a coastal town in Essex.
When I am not writing, I enjoy making greetings cards, Cross Stitch, fishing and the company of my little granddaughters. I also write Victorian novels under my own name, Glynis Smy,